Many electric utilities and large industrial, commercial and institutional owners of medium and large power transformers are beginning to develop their own "Life Cycle Transformer Management" programs.

Our Transformer Forum will deal with many of the technical and economic issues dealing with a) The Screening Process to prioritize the transformer fleet; b) Transformer Condition Assessment of individual transformers, and c) Life Cycle Decisions: retire, refurbish, replace, relocate.

Course Time Table for Both Days
Start 9:00 am
Coffee Break 10:45 am
Luncheon 11:50 am
Restart 1:15 pm
Refreshments 2:45 pm
Adjournment 4:30 pm (approx.)

DAY 1

LIFE TIME EXTENSION OF POWER TRANSFORMERS WITH ON-SITE DRYING OF ACTIVE PART
Georg Mändl, Siemens AG, Nuremberg, Germany
In North America and Europe many transformers are 35 years old or even older. Experience based on more than 40.000 transformers in our database shows the increase of water content inside a transformer with years of life. This paper will explain how to detect moisture and present two different techniques for field dehydration of wet transformers. The approach is mainly based on real cases.

DRY-TYPE TRANSFORMERS ENERGY SAVING AND HARMONIC MITIGATION THROUGH PROPER INSTALLATION OF DRY TYPE TRANSFORMERS
Jean-Guy Boudrias, Hammond Power Solutions
Improved designs for electrically powered equipment such as solid-state motor drives, electronic lighting ballasts, DC power supplies, and computers offer the promise to dramatically improve energy efficiency. These new technologies can have power quality side effects which must be considered along with energy benefits. Current demand characteristics, harmonic production, and power susceptibility requirements create new issues of energy losses.

When trying to resolve these problems, we often complicate our lives by looking toward exotic and mysterious equipment,when the proper installation could solve the problems permanently. This presentation is an approach to simple installation techniques, for example, phase shifting, balancing your phases and systems, to avoid power quality problems and to improve your total power fa ctor and the derived lost. This presentation will include a case study of a large drive installation that will demonstrate the energy saving and power factor correction capability of a transformer installation.

10:45AM – COFFEE BREAK

DIELECTRIC FREQUENCY RESPONSE APPLIED TO TRANSFORMER INSULATION
Uno Gafvert , ABB AB, Corporate Research, Vasteras, Sweden
Dielectric frequency response (DFR) is an advanced method for assessment of high voltage dielectric systems. In a DFR measurement, the dielectric properties (capacitance and loss) of the insulation system are measured from kilo Hz down to milli Hz. An important output of DFR analysis, applied on power transformers, is assessment of average volume moisture in the solid insulation and the power factor of the oil. With knowledge of the transformer design, modeling allows us to separate the influence of the oil conductivity and moisture in the cellulose. In this presentation we will show cases from field measurements on power transformers, and measurements on model transformers subject to different levels of moisture and ageing.

11:50AM – LUNCHEON

CONDITION ASSESSMENT OF POWER TRANSFORMERS IN-SERVICE
Dr. May Wang and John Vandermaar, Powertech Labs Inc.
Power transformers are the most expensive pieces of equipment in a power substation. It is very important to prevent failures and detect problems as early as possible. This presentation reviews the diagnostic and monitoring tests and equipment available to assess the condition of transformers and provide an early warning of potential failure.

OIL ANALYSIS AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR OIL FILLED ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
Nick Dominelli, Powertech Labs Inc.
Analysis of insulating oils is commonly used to diagnose and assess the condition of transformers. This presentation will provide an overview of the most common tests and their interpretation. This includes dissolved gas analysis, oil quality, furans, advanced oil tests and their applications. Sampling techniques and the use of diagnostic software will also be discussed.

2:45AM – REFRESHMENT BREAK

EQUIPMENT HEALTH RATING OF POWER TRANSFORMERS
Nick Dominelli, Powertech Labs Inc.
A program has been developed to diagnose and assess the health of transformers. The program uses nameplate information, design problems, operating history, inspections, and results from oil and field tests to calculate a condition index of components, then combine them into an EHR. The results can be used for asset management.

LIFE EXTENSION OF TRANSFORMERS BY CONTINUOUS ON-LINE OIL PURIFICATION
Steve Kovacevic, Powertech Labs Inc.
This presentation discusses the use of online transformer oil purification units to remove components responsible for promoting deterioration of the oil/paper insulation system, including moisture, acids, degradation products, particles, and gases. Several prototype units were built and evaluated in the lab and in the field on inservice transformers at BC Hydro/BCTC.

DAY 2

OIL TESTING AND ON-LINE MONITORING CAN INCREASE TRANSFORMER LIFE EXPECTANCY
William Morse, Morgan Schaffer
Analyzing the oil from transformers has been used for many years to determine the health of operating transformers. Dissolved gas analysis alone provides a significant amount of information on their condition. When used in conjunction with on-line monitors, the life of a transformer can be extended by preventing catastrophic failures. This session will discuss the uses of off-line and on-line systems to detect, diagnose, and prevent transformer failures.

MONITORING AND PREDICTING THERMAL PROBLEMS IN TRANSFORMERS
Ken Waters, FLIR Systems
Infrared thermography has become the core of predictive maintenance programs in Canada and around the world. For more than 30 years, thousands of electric utilities worldwide have used infrared thermography to avoid costly failures, improve service reliability, and prevent electrical fires. With the ongoing advancements in equipment and technology, plant infrared scans are now safer, quicker, and more cost-effective. This presentation will discuss the application of infrared thermography and provide case study examples of infrared thermography’s ability to assist electrical maintenance personnel to extend the life of transformers and other substation equipment. The emphasis of this discussion is the development of an infrared thermography program that incorporates reporting and safety measures to existing predictive maintenance approaches.

10:45AM – COFFEE BREAK

APPLICATION OF DISSOLVED GAS ANALYSIS TO LOAD TAP CHANGERS AND OIL CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Dr. Fredi Jakob, Weidmann-ACTI Inc.
Dissolved Gas Analysis (DGA) is universally accepted as a vital tool for diagnostic evaluation of power transformers. DGA is based on the observation that thermal or electrical faults must result in partial destruction of liquid and solid insulation with subsequent formation of low molecular weight gases.
The ability to extend DGA to other oil filled electrical apparatus has more recently been developed. It is now recognized that ratios of key gases are a valuable tool for interpretation of DGA data for Load Tap Changers (LTCs), Oil Circuit Breakers (OCBs) and Voltage Regulators. The interpretation of this data provides the ability to monitor these types of equipment, detect problems and achieve significant maintenance cost savings.

11:50AM – LUNCHEON

INNOVATIVE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES FOR TESTING AND COMMISSIONING POWER TRANSFORMERS
Bill Fernihough, Doble Engineering
As an owner of transformers you are faced with the challenge of how to minimize downtime and maximize life expectancy of your valuable asset. With budget restraints, what testing should be done and how often you should perform maintenance is key. This session will review what traditional maintenance testing procedures are being utilized and what new methods are available, including on-line monitoring systems to determine the condition of the high voltage insulation systems in transformers. Some of the new methods to be presented are Sweep Frequency Response Analysis and Intelligent Diagnostic Devices.

2:30PM – REFRESHMENT BREAK

INNOVATIVE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES FOR TESTING AND COMMISSIONING POWER TRANSFORMERS - Continued

GENERAL INFORMATION

When and Where
The 2004 Transformer Asset Management Forum will be held as follows:

Vancouver - September 13-14, 2004
Holiday Inn Vancouver Centre
711 West Broadway
Tel: 604-879-0511
$135.00 Standard - Cut-off is August 17

Edmonton - September 15-16, 2004
Coast Terrace Inn
4440 Calgary Trail North
Tel: 780-437-6010
$104.00 Standard - Cut-off is August 17

A special bedroom rate (non-commissionable) has been arranged with each hotel. To receive this rate, inform the hotel that you are a delegate with the Canadian Electricity Forum when making your reservation.

Registration Fees
The registration fee to attend the Forum is $699.00 + 48.93 GST. Register and prepay before September 6 and receive an early bird registration fee of $649.00 + 45.43 GST per delegate. Companies registering 3 delegates at the regular price ($699.00) will receive a 4th registration FREE.
The fee includes forum participation, a forum materials package, refreshments and luncheons on both days. Delegates will also receive a FREE 108-Page Transformer Handbook (Value $35) and a FREE subscription to Electricity Today Magazine (Value $40), as well as an Electricity Forum Coupon (Value $100) to be used against any future 2004 Electricity Forum event (restrictions apply), as well as 1.4 CEU credits issued by the Engineering Institute of Canada. (GST #R105219976)

Air Flight Information
We have appointed Air Canada as the official airline of our 2004 forums. Simply contact Air Canada’s North America toll free number at 1-800-361-7585 or local number 514-393-9494 or your travel agent and take advantage of Special Discounted Airfares. Our convention number is CV041955.

Cancellation and Refund Policy
Registration fees are refundable only upon receipt of written notification 10 days prior to the conference date, less a 10 per cent service charge. Substitution of participants is permissible.
The Canadian Electricity Forum reserves the right to cancel any conference it deems necessary and will, in such event, make a full refund of the registration fees.